Delivery riders in Singapore could soon find it easier to complete food and parcel deliveries at condominiums and malls, following new guidelines recommending dedicated parking spaces, waiting bays and collection points.
The guidelines, issued by the Land Transport Authority and Urban Redevelopment Authority in September, are aimed at improving the last-mile delivery experience for riders, residents, tenants and security staff. They encourage developments to provide designated waiting bays where riders can park for free for at least 15 minutes, as well as collection points near guardhouses.
For riders, the changes could address a problem they frequently face: finding somewhere legal and convenient to park while delivering an order.
Some riders currently leave their e-bikes or motorcycles on public paths outside condominiums, then walk several minutes to reach customers. Others can be left waiting outside when residents do not answer intercom calls, forcing them to wait for someone to enter or leave the building before they can get through.
Dedicated collection points could reduce some of those delays by allowing residents to collect food or parcels at a designated location instead of requiring riders to navigate through the entire development.
The recommendations also cover clearer signs and simpler registration procedures for delivery personnel, potentially making the process smoother at developments where security checks can take time.
But the guidelines are not mandatory, and implementation could vary significantly between condominiums.
Older and smaller developments may have little spare space for new parking bays. Some condominiums also have underground or multi-level car parks, making it more difficult to create convenient spaces for motorcycles and e-bikes. Management corporations will also have to consider installation and maintenance costs, security concerns and residents’ expectations.
New developments may have an easier time adopting the recommendations because delivery facilities can be incorporated during the planning and design stages. For existing properties, however, physical constraints can make changes more complicated.
Safety is another consideration. One delivery rider suggested that designated parking areas for e-bikes and motorcycles should ideally be sheltered, particularly because of concerns surrounding vehicles being exposed to Singapore’s heat.
The new Last-mile Delivery Guide is intended as a set of recommended design and operational practices rather than a compulsory requirement. URA said building owners, developers and managers are encouraged to adopt the measures where feasible.
Singapore has already introduced other initiatives to improve parcel deliveries. Under the Courier Hub Scheme, designated parking spaces at selected HDB multi-storey car parks can be used by courier companies to sort and dispatch parcels, reducing the number of delivery vehicles moving around residential neighbourhoods.
The latest guidelines therefore represent another attempt to balance convenience for residents with the realities faced by delivery workers.
For riders, dedicated spaces and collection points could mean less time searching for parking, fewer access problems and faster deliveries. For condominiums, however, the challenge will be finding the space and agreement to make those changes work.
The bigger question is whether Singapore’s condominiums will actually embrace the new system — or whether cost, limited space and residents’ expectations will keep doorstep deliveries just as complicated as before.
